Trump blames Biden and Harris for attack against him
Donald Trump has accused President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris of inciting violence against him, claiming their rhetoric has led to attempts on his life. This accusation comes as President Biden has called for increased support for the Secret Service.
In an interview with Fox News, Trump asserted that Democrats have fueled violence by labeling him a threat to American democracy. Since losing the 2020 election, Trump has maintained, without evidence, that he won and that his victory was stolen. Following the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot, Trump faces accusations of participating in a “multi-pronged conspiracy” to undermine voter will.
Both Biden and Harris have repeatedly criticized Trump for undemocratic tendencies, which they say are evident in his speeches to his supporters.
Following a second attack attempt, Trump linked the comments made by Biden and Harris to these incidents as he geared up for the upcoming presidential election. He said, “Their rhetoric is causing shootings against me, when I am the one who will save the country, and they are the ones destroying it—both from within and outside,” adding that Ryan Wesley Ruth, the suspect in the assassination attempt, “believed Biden and Harris’s rhetoric and acted accordingly.”
Trump referred to Biden and Harris as “internal enemies” and “the real threat.”
Meanwhile, President Biden, commenting on the assassination attempt, stated that he had not yet received a full report on the Sunday incident at Trump’s golf course in Florida and expressed relief that the former president was unharmed. He also noted that the Secret Service, responsible for protecting political figures, “needs more help.”
It should be noted that Trump’s protection level was higher than that of other politicians due to his high profile and presidential candidacy. His security had been increased shortly before the July assassination attempt in Pennsylvania, following a threat from Iran, according to U.S. officials.
Criminal charges against Ruth
Federal prosecutors have filed criminal charges against Ryan Ruth, suspected of attempting to assassinate Donald Trump. Ruth, who was found with a firearm hidden in bushes at Trump’s Florida golf course, is charged with firearm possession and having a defaced serial number.
A hearing is scheduled for September 23, with the indictment set for September 30. According to CNN, this is a preliminary court action to hold Ruth while additional charges related to the assassination attempt are being considered.
Timeline of the assassination attempt
Agents fired at the armed suspect hiding in bushes at one of Trump’s golf courses in Florida, just a few hundred meters from where Trump was playing. The suspect fled in a car, leaving behind two backpacks and his weapon, and was later apprehended.
Trump remained safe, but the incident has raised questions about how an armed suspect could get so close (less than 400 meters) just two months after another armed individual shot at Trump during a July 13 gathering in Butler, Pennsylvania, injuring him with a bullet in his ear.
Musk’s controversial tweet
Elon Musk, owner of X (formerly Twitter), sparked controversy with a comment he posted on his platform shortly after the latest assassination attempt against Trump. Responding to a user’s question about the motives of Trump’s would-be assassins, Musk wrote, “And no one is even trying to kill Biden or Kamala,” accompanied by a thinking face emoji.
The tweet quickly drew intense reactions, with many accusing Musk of inciting violence against the President and Vice President, and calling on the U.S. government to terminate its contracts with Musk’s SpaceX. New York Times reporter Dave Itzkoff noted that such behavior explains why X is facing issues with advertisers.
Facing a storm of criticism, Musk deleted the tweet and posted two follow-up messages attempting to explain his comment. “One lesson I’ve learned is that saying something to a group and getting a laugh doesn’t mean it will be funny as a post on X,” the billionaire initially wrote, adding, “As it turns out, jokes are much less funny if people don’t know the context they’re said in and they are written down.”
